Dragon Age: An Oath of Magic
by Megawrath
Summary: A retelling of the Mage path for Dragon Age Origins with a few slight changes to the canon. Follow the story of Balin, a gifted Mage with a natural talent for Magic. Hear the tale of the woman he loved, of the friends he lost, and of the Kingdom he is willing to die for. In life, nothing is ever certain. But the life of a Warden, is far less certain than others.
1. Bully

_The Chantry teaches us, that it was the hubris of man that created the Darkspawn. Thousands of years ago, the Old Gods, mighty dragons that once dominated the surface of the planet, were cast down into prisons beneath the bowels of the World by the Maker, for tricking mankind into worshipping them. In secret, the Old Gods whispered prophecies to the few men that were still loyal to the Dragons. These men became the first Mages, and together they formed the Tevinter Imperium. A magically fueled Empire that dominated all of Thedas. In their arrogance, the Mages declared war on the maker, opening portals into the fade so that they may invade his Golden City. They sought to usurp heaven….instead, they destroyed it._

 _They were cast out, twisted and deformed by their own corruption, returning to the World as horrible monstrosities. The first of the Darkspawn. They became a blight upon the lands, unstoppable and relentless, until all was threatened to be engulfed by their shadow. The Dwarven Realms were the first to fall, and from the deep roads the Darkspawn attacked the world of men again and again, until they all neared annihilation._

 _But all was not lost._

 _From the ashes of a dying world, came the Grey Wardens. Warriors and Mages, Kings and Commoners, Knights and Criminals, Men and Women of every race, joined together by a single powerful cause. To stem the tide of darkness, and end the Blight once and for all._

* * *

The young students gathered around Wynne in the small classroom all burst into applause at the conclusion of her amazing story. She smiled, bowing politely.

"That was incredible, Miss Wynne." One young boy with raven hair commented.

"Yeah! I didn't know the Grey Wardens were so amazing!" Another boy with golden hair added.

"My favorite part was hearing about the Women who became Wardens." One young elf girl with pigtails also replied.

"Well Balin? You've been mostly silent throughout, what did you think?" Wynne asked.

All eyes in the room turned to the young boy named Balin, who stared up at Wynne with curious, emerald eyes. He thought a moment before speaking, unsure of how best to answer her. "Well...it's a great story. But some of it is hard to believe." He finally admitted.

"I agree!" A squeaky red headed child with a condescending voice spoke up. "There's no real evidence that these Darkspawn were ever once human. I've read just about every book on the subject and all the well documented scholars agree that there is no conclusive evidence to that end. All we know is that they come up from the ground." He finished with pride.

"Finn, you bring up an excellent point." Wynne replied, without missing a beat. "It is true that there is no conclusive evidence that the darkspawn were once human. However, there is still much we can learn from this story.

"Like what?" The boy with Raven hair asked.

"Well for one, it tells us about the dangers magic poses." She lectured. "We must use our gifts responsibly lest we be turned into something monstrous."

"But I don't wanna be a Darkspawn." The girl with pigtails shivered at the thought.

Wynne covered her lips with the tips of her fingers, stifling an amused giggle. "Have no fear, there is no danger of _that_ happening." She began writing something on the board behind her, Finn immediately began scribbling it down on his vellum sheet. "But the threats we face from demons, evil spirits who reside within the Fade, are a very real threat that all Mages must be on guard for. That is why The Circle exists." She continued. "Take a look at what I have written here." The students gazed up at the board with curious intrigue. "All magic exists to serve mankind, and never to rule over him. Can anyone tell me what this saying means?"

The children collectively scratched their heads, none of them possessing a confident answer. It was Balin who finally raised his hand. "It's a verse from the Chant of Light. It means our magic is what makes us special, but that we have to use our magic to help people, not hurt them."

She beamed. "Correct Balin. I'm glad you understand." She smiled at him, proud to see her students learning. "We must never forget the lessons the Tevinter Imperium taught us. How magic can be abused, how it can corrupt the hearts of men and twist them into hurting others. Your magic is what makes you special. But it is a gift you must use responsibly, for the betterment of all mankind. That is why The Circle of Magi exists."

The students all smiled at their wise old teacher, nodding collectively in understanding of the lesson. She was proud of them, for how far the young mages had become.

"Now then, you have two rolls of Vellum due to me by Morndas. Have it on my desk by the end of class."

* * *

Balin stashed away his books and writing utensils into his desk, lost in thought. _Magic exists to serve mankind, never to rule over him._ He repeated in his head. He stood from his desk and left, his mind adrift in quiet contemplation. As he exited the classroom he was stopped by the boy with raven hair.

"Oh, hey Jowan." He greeted him in a friendly tone.

"Wasn't that story great?!" He asked excitedly. The young Mage named Jowan appeared to be a little older than Balin, while he normally always was the more extroverted of the two, he seemed particularly energetic today. "My favorite part was when she talked about the Griffons!"

"Yeah, I liked that part too…" Balin replied, his mind clearly elsewhere.

Jowan frowned, not understanding why his friend didn't share his enthusiasm. "What's wrong? You've been acting weird all day."

"It's nothing...I just haven't been sleeping well." He replied.

His demeanor changed to that of concern. "You've been having the nightmare again, haven't you?"

Balin nodded, nervously twirling a strand of his dark brown hair loosely around his finger.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He offered.

He shook his head, still fiddling with his hair. "Nah, it's alright…"

"Ah, there you two are!" Finn rounded the corner with the blonde haired boy in tow. He was a few inches taller than the rest of them, and looked to be at least a year older than all three. "Listen, Anders and I, as well as some of the other kids are going to go play Knights and Chevaliers out in the courtyard. You two wanna come?"

"Sounds like fun!" Jowan was full of energy again. "You coming, Balin?"

"It's okay, you guys go ahead without me."

"Aww come on!" He whined. "We never get out of lecture this early, we should enjoy the day while we can."

"He's right, Balin. You should come play with us." Anders gave him a friendly smile.

"Maybe another time, I'm not feeling well." He replied.

Finn shrugged. "Eh, suit yourself, that just means that-"

At that moment, the girl with pigtails came bursting into the room, a look of sheer panic written all over her face. "Everyone, quick! We have to get outta here!" She screamed frantically.

"What is it Emile? What's wrong?"

"We don't have much time! _**Braith**_ is coming!" She exclaimed.

Their good humor faded.

"Oh no….not Braith!" Anders trembled.

"Every mage for himself!" Finn yelled, bolting for the door.

They all began darting off in different directions. Jowan grabbed Balin by the arm and began to tug.

"Quick! Let's get out of here before she-"

"Well well well...look what we have here."

The familiar, violent tone of Braith caused both boys to jump and simultaneously turn their heads towards its direction. Standing right behind them, was an abnormally tall, pale skinned girl with fiery red locks that were pulled into a plated ponytail. She stood defiantly with her hands on her hips, her demeanor that of an impatient wyvern. She was flanked by two older boys, each as tall as she was. The two young mages were like halla caught in a bear trap.

"Oh...umm...hey Braith." Jowan nervously stuttered, twiddling his thumbs. "We uhh...we were just umm…" He avoided direct eye contact.

"You haven't paid the toll today little baby mage." She snarled, getting directly in his face. "You owe me five bits for this weeks protection service. So cough it up!"

"Oh...uhhh..gee Braith. I'm really sorry, but I just spent my last copper piece on-"

She grabbed him by the collar and hoisted him up in the air with surprising strength for her wiry frame. "You better cough up the money right now or me and my boys here are gonna bloody your face!" She barked impatiently.

Jowan trembled, terror in his eyes.

"He doesn't have to pay you!" Balin interjected.

Braith dropped Jowan onto the floor, her hazel eyes zeroing in on her new target.

"What did you just say?" She growled, slowly walking over to her new victim like a wolf seconds from pouncing on its victim.

Balin swallowed his fear, mustering what little courage he could find. "I said he doesn't have to pay you. You can't just charge people money to not beat them up, that's extortion!" He argued.

"Who the hell asked you, half breed!"

Her words felt like they had bitten into him. He _hated_ being called that.

"He doesn't owe you anything, Braith! So leave him alone!" He continued to stand up for Jowan, who was doing his best to remain unnoticed at the moment.

"Oh yeah? And what if I don't?" Braith challenged, a wicked grin on her face.

A slight tremble built in his lithe frame. "I don't care what you do to me, but you're not gonna hurt Jowan! Not this time!" Balin said with finality.

For a moment, that surprised her. She was used to the mages breaking down in tears by this point, nevertheless, she regained her composure. A malicious smile curling on her face.

"Fair enough, half breed."

* * *

Wynne gently applied ointment to Balin's bruised and battered face. His feet dangled off the edge of his bed in the Boy's Dormitory. After the encounter with Braith, he and Jowan had returned there to get medical treatment from their teacher. His left eye was swollen almost completely shut, tissue paper drenched in blood hung from his nose, and a deep cut crossed from one side of his cheek all the way down to the other side.

"She sure was relentless with you wasn't she." She commented sadly.

"It's all my fault, I should have gotten us out sooner…" Jowan, who had been standing close by, drooped his head in shame. "I'm such a scaredy cat. As soon as Braith showed up I just froze."

"It's not your fault, Jowan." Balin reassured. He winced in pain as the ointment entered one of his cuts.

"Try to hold still, I need to make sure I get a good even coating before I deal with the swelling."

Senior Enchanter Wynne, in addition to being the head instructor for all initiates ages six through twelve, was the supervisor and Head Mistress of the children of the Circle of Magi in Fereldan. She was a kindly, old soul who would often treat the young mages as if they were her own. Seeing the poor boy beaten to a pulp like this, deeply saddened the Elder Enchantress.

She gently placed her fingers on the sides of his head. Slowly, each one began to glow a luminescent yellow as the pain began to subside in Balin's aching wounds. The swelling in his eye began to dissipate as his skin returned to a normal color. The bleeding in his nose stopped and the cut on his cheek scarred over. When the spell was done, he looked no worse for wear.

"There, much better." She sighed with relief. "Jowan, will you do me a favor and bring me a bucket of warm water?"

"Yes Miss Wynne." The boy left to do as he was asked. Wynne turned her attention back to the young Balin, who was still quietly sulking despite his injuries being healed.

"What's on your mind, dear?" She asked with concern.

"She called me a half breed again." He answered, a bit of shame in his voice.

Wynne clasped a hand over her mouth. A mixture of surprise and disgust on her face.

"She did _not!"_

He nodded sadly, avoiding eye contact. Her expression soured.

"That's it! I'm telling the First Enchanter about this at once!" She stood up as if prepared to leave the room immediately.

Balin quickly grabbed her sleeve, tugging on it gently.

"Don't bother. There's nothing he can do." He gave a depressed sigh. "Braith is the Knight Commander's daughter. She's untouchable."

"Irving can at least speak to Greagor and convince him to stop letting his daughter run about the place however she pleases." She tried to reassure him.

"That'll just cause more trouble for everyone else..."

Wynne frowned at him sorrowfully, before finally relenting. "Very well, if that is what you wish. But please promise me something." She hugged him close to her chest. "Do not ever be ashamed of who your mother was, young one. You're not the only one in the Tower who is Elf Blooded. In this Circle, we are all Magi, and we are all family. Never forget that."

He buried himself further into her robes, finding comfort in her arms. "Thank you, Miss Wynne."

"Furthermore, I think I have an idea on how you can deal with Braith."

He looked up at her curiously. "What do you mean? What idea?"

She gave him sly smile, whispering something into his ear. Whatever it was, it wasn't what he was expecting her to say.

"Really? Are you sure that will work?"

"Oh trust me dear. As someone who knows how girls think, I believe if this doesn't work, then nothing will."

* * *

The next day, Jowan and Balin met together after class, as they normally did. Many of the children were already gone; out to play in the courtyard. The halls of the Circle Tower were abuzz with activity, Mage Apprentices scurrying about, tomes and scrolls in hand. Others, practicing with their instructors. All while the Templars watched vigilantly, for any signs of demonic possession, forbidden arts, or other abnormalities. Officially, they were there to guard the mages, and keep them from burning the place down. But everyone in the Tower knew why they really there, even the young children.

"It's just creepy, you know?" Jowan commented.

Balin put a finger over his lips. " _Shhh,_ not too loud. You don't want them to overhear you."

"I'm just saying, why are they always here? Even in class, they're always right outside the door." Jowan nervously looked around at the motionless, armored Knights. The fact that their faces were always obscured by their thick metal helmets did nothing to ease his nerves.

"It's not something we should be talking about." Balin complained. "Remember what Wynne told us in class?"

"The Templars are here to protect us from a world that is scared of our gifts." He recited, verbatim.

"Exactly. They're here to protect us, which means they are our allies."

Jowan nodded, understandingly. "I guess, still it's weird…."

They walked on in silence for a moment. The cold gaze of the Templar's sent shivers down their spines.

"So what do you wanna do before curfew?" Jowan asked, changing the subject. "I heard some of the other kids are gonna play Knights and Chevaliers again."

"Sorry, but I've already got plans."

Jowan stopped. "Plans? What plans? There's nothing to do around here except play or study in the library. And we don't have any homework due so I know it's not that."

Balin took a deep breath. "Today, I'm going to get Braith to leave us alone once and for all." He declared confidently.

Jowan dropped every scroll he was carrying. "You're going to do _**what?!"**_

"You heard me."

He grabbed his friend, shaking him frantically. "Did she knock something loose when she hit you yesterday?! Wasn't one beating enough?" He argued.

"Listen, if something isn't done she's gonna continue making our lives miserable forever. I have to do this, Jowan."

"But she's gonna eat you!" He countered. Their was palpable fear in his voice.

"Don't worry, Miss Wynne gave me an idea."

He bent his head to the side, a perplexed look on his face. "She did?"

Balin nodded. "Mhmm. Trust me. I know what I'm doing."

* * *

Braith was out by the courtyard with her squad of goons close by. Some kids were off playing a few yards away under the watchful eye of the Templars. At that moment, Jowan wished he was over there, and not cowering behind his friend as they slowly walked towards the biggest bully in the Tower. But Balin would not be dissuaded. Not after what Wynne told him. Upon seeing them approach, Braith's expression immediately soured.

"What do you want, half breed?" She asked impatiently.

Again, her words stung. But he let it go.

"Come on, Balin. She doesn't wanna talk to you, let's just go!" His friend pleaded with him.

Balin placed a reassuring had on Jowan's shoulder. "It's okay. Just let me handle this."

Gingerly, the duo approached her, with Jowan using Balin as a barrier between him and the scary redhead. She, along with her two henchmen stood up. One of the boys popped his knuckles, causing Jowan to further burrow himself in his friends back.

"If this is about giving his money back you can forget it. We already spent it on sweets anyway." She mocked.

He took a deep breath before speaking. "Braith, I really wish you would stop calling me half breed. It's really mean, and it hurts my feelings." He said with complete sincerity.

Braith, and her two henchmen exchanged looks of confused disbelief with one another before rearing their heads back and bursting into hysterical laughter.

"This is your big plan?" Jowan whispered.

"Quiet, I'm not done yet." He whispered back.

Eventually the three of them calmed down, Braith got directly into Balin's face, her hands on her hips, her eyes narrowed sharply at his.

"And just what are you gonna do to make me stop?" She growled.

His courage wavered. "Well...I was...I was going to…"

He seemed unsure at first, and the longer he took the angrier she got. Jowan considered just bolting before she had a chance to eat him too but was too petrified to move. Eventually, Balin regained his composure and removed an object from his robe, presenting it to her.

"I was going to give you this." He finally managed to blurt out, doing all he could to maintain eye contact.

She blinked at him, staring at the object in his trembling hand, and then back at him, and then back at the object again.

"Wh...what is this?" She asked in a confused voice.

"It's a flower. Girls like flowers don't they?" Their was a beaming, friendly smile plastered on his face.

The look she gave him at that moment was indescribable. She was completely dumbfounded, as was her two goons. Sure enough, in the palm of his hands, was a single white flower with a golden center. Andraste's Grace, a rare species only found in the Greenhouse of the tower. Wynne's advice ran through his mind as he offered the peace offering to her. _Girls her age desire to be noticed. She acts out because she feels underappreciated and ignored. Like you, she has no Mother, and her Father is constantly busy with work. If you give her a gift, I'm certain her demeanor will change._

"You...you picked me a flower?" Her face began to turn as red as her hair.

"Well...yeah. Do you like it? These don't grow just everywhere you know."

He offered it to her. She seemed hesitant to take it at first, but eventually she allowed him to awkwardly drop it in the palm of her hands. She twisted it around in her fingers curiously. Still not fully comprehending what was going on.

"Why...why would you pick this for me?" She finally asked, flower in hands.

"Well...I was hoping we could be friends." Balin admitted, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

"Ah come on boss! Let's clobber this wimp!" One of her goons stepped in.

"Yeah! Dumb little mage thinks he can boss you around with some wimpy flower. _Ha!_ " The other one added.

For a long moment, she said nothing. Just continued staring at the flower. At this point, Jowan was forcefully tugging on Balin's robes in a desperate attempt to get him to flee. Finally, she spoke.

"Cullen, you and Carrol get outta here. Go see if there's any protection money we haven't collected yet." She commanded.

"But boss!" Cullen was about to protest.

"Just do it, ya nughugger! Before I clobber you!" She barked.

The two boys jumped, and quickly bolted. Clearly just as fearful of her wrath as Jowen was.

An awkward silence hung in the air.

Balin rocked on his feet, unsure what to say. He wasn't sure he would get this far without getting punched. "So...do you think we could-"

"Do you really wanna my friend?" She interrupted, clutching the flower to her chest. Her demeanor had changed. She was fidgety, almost unsure of herself, her gaze cast down to the ground.

"Well...yeah." He hesitantly replied.

As quickly as it had gone, suddenly, the fire was back. She got directly in his face again, grabbing him by the collar. Her expression was stern, but she didn't look like she was about to beat his skull in at any given moment this time.

"So does that mean you're going to do whatever I say without question?"

There was no evidence of a joke anywhere in that statement.

"Uhh...well I mean.."

She began to shake him. "Well do you wanna be my friend or not?!"

"Okay! Okay! Just don't hit me!" He whined.

She stopped shaking him, glaring with fiery eyes for a moment, until finally she released the collar of his robes. Balin exhaled, breathing again for the first time since she grabbed him.

"Maker's breath, you sure are wimpy aren't you." She bluntly commented. "If you're gonna be hanging out with me we're gonna have to toughen you up."

Balin wasn't sure if he should feel elated or terrified.

She turned on her heel sharply and began walking off, a confident bounce in her step. "Come on. I have Chantry study coming up. You can carry my stuff for me."

"Well, the thing is...I already sort of had plans to…"

She snapped her head around, a menacing glare in her eyes

Balin nearly jumped out of his shoes. " _Errr..._ I mean...they weren't that important. I can carry your things." He chuckled nervously.

Her glare slowly faded. Finally she turned back around, her petite nose defiantly pointed to the sky. "Good. Now, come on! I don't want to be late!"

As she dragged him away, he quickly turned back to Jowan and waved goodbye, shortly before being pulled out of sight. He scratched his head, completely baffled. "What...what just happened?"

* * *

Authors Note: My first Dragon Age Story! I'm going with kind of a slow burn on this one so I apologize if the pacing seems off. This is only my second work to post to Fanfic so if there are any inconsistencies or slight grammatical problems I apologize in advance. Please feel free to comment and review! (constructively of course) I love getting feedback on my writing. :)


	2. Stories

"I'm telling you, he's _dead._ " Finn declared, nervously poking his head out the door of the boys dorm.

"Oh come on! So he's a little late for curfew, that doesn't mean she killed him." Jowan wasn't sure who he was trying to convince; Finn, or himself.

Finn spun away from the door, keeping his grip on the handle. "Balin's never late! He would sooner let a dragon burn him alive then to keep someone waiting."

"Finn has a point." Anders commented, nervously twiddling his fingers. "Balin has always been too kind to keep us waiting….he's sweet like that." A slight blush creeped over his cheeks.

"I'm telling you guys, she finally snapped and did him in!" Finn concluded, turning his attention back to the door.

"But it's only been a week since they started hanging out, what do you think went wrong?" Another boy, about the same age as Finn spoke up.

"Who knows? Maybe she just got hungry." He replied.

"Don't be dumb! She's not gonna eat him!"

Finn released his grip on the door handle, moving back into the room. "What makes you so sure, Owain?"

"Because girls don't do that!" He countered.

"How would you know? And besides, are we even sure she's a girl, and not a demon?"

"Can girls even get possessed?" Jowan asked.

"I heard from two Templars, that not only can girls be possessed by demons, same as boys, but that it happens at least once a month." Anders chimed in.

The boys all gasped in horror.

"No way!" One of them cried out.

"Yeah! Apparently, they call it the _Cycle._ " He explained.

They all shivered in fear.

"No wonder we have separate bunks. Can you imagine?"

"It makes me glad I'm a boy." Finn added.

"I'm glad you're a boy, too." Anderson replied, a coy smile on his face.

A knock at the door made them all jump in surprise. Finn nervously approached the handle and opened the large wooden frame. Through the small crack in the door he could make out a familiar face.

"Balin?!"

"Yeah, it's me. Would you hurry up and let me in?" His eyes were darting around the hallway, watching for Templars.

"What happened to you? We were sure you were dead!" Finn exclaimed, with no small amount of relief. He was barely visible from the small crack in the door.

His comment threw Balin off track. "What? Why would you…" He shook it off. "Just hurry up and open the door! I don't want to get in trouble!"

"Right, sorry!" Finn quickly opened the door wide enough to allow Balin to fit through. The tiny initiate squeezed inside.

"By the way, I have a guest."

"A guest? What do you mean a…"

No sooner had he begun to ask then another person, hand interlocked with Balin's, squeezed in through the small opening in the doorway. The boys all jumped in both surprise, and horror.

"How's it going, little baby mages?" Braith sneered at them.

"It's the demon!"

"Quick, everyone hide!"

"The Cycle has begun!"

They all began running around like chickens with their heads cut off, ducking under beds and hiding behind furniture.

"Hey! Guys calm down! What are you on about?" Balin looked around in utter confusion at the spectacle.

"Why is _she_ here?!" Finn asked, a chair raised above his head.

"I invited her." Balin calmly explained.

"You...you did?" He blinked a few times in disbelief, finally lowering the chair.

The others slowly came out of hiding, keeping a wary eye on her. She stood with her arms crossed, a scowl on her face. Her eyes were cast off to the side as if she was ignoring them, her cheeks slightly flushed. None of them spoke for a moment, each with the same look of bewilderment on their face.

"Why would you invite her _here_?" Jowan asked. Still not quite comprehending

Balin awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "Well...because-"

"Because I'm sick and tired of staying with the Chantry Sisters! It's boring!" She interjected, loudly stomping her foot.

They all instinctively took two steps backwards

"Balin told me you guys sometimes stay up late and tell ghost stories, I thought it sounded like fun so I wanted in…" She continued refusing to make eye contact with any of them. If they didn't know better, they would have thought she was embarrassed. "So are we gonna tell stories or what?"

"Umm...Balin? Are you sure about this?" Finn asked nervously, pulling him aside.

He blinked at Finn. "Yeah, I'm sure. Why wouldn't I be?" He asked sincerely.

"Well...she's _Braith_ for one...but I mean….also…."

"She's a _**girl!"**_ Anderson finished for him.

"What's that got to do with anything!" She shot back. Anderson immediately hid back under the table.

"Girls aren't allowed in the boys room!" Finn explained. He was clearly uncomfortable having this conversation.

"Yeah! We don't want to get in trouble." Owain added.

They all nodded in agreement.

She scowled at them, turning her head back towards the door. "Fine...I get it."

They all sighed in relief. She snapped her head back at them, a wicked smile across her lips.

"I guess that means you'll just have to be extra super duper careful tonight then, and not get caught staying up. Because I'm not going anywhere!"

* * *

"And as they turned around...they knew...the staff of Count Grimgor was _**haunted!**_ _Ooooooooo"_

Jowan waved his hands about, imitating the ominous noises and movements of a spooky ghost. The children, all seated in a semi-circle around him, stared blankly as he finished his story. Not a murmur among them.

"Is that it?"Braith finally asked.

He slumped his shoulders. "Yeah...that's it."

"Seriously? That one wasn't scary at all!" She complained.

"It wasn't _that_ bad!" He responded indignantly. "You liked it, right Balin?" He turned to his friend for confirmation.

"Sorry Jowan...I kinda like your other story better." He offered an apologetic smile.

Jowan hung his head dejectedly. "Great, _now_ you tell me."

The group all burst into laughter. Despite their initial unease with Braith's presence they were actually having a lot of fun. Whenever someone got up to tell a story, she would loudly blurt out what the whole group was secretly thinking. Whether it was boring, or funny, or horrifying. She made it clear which ones were her favorites, usually stories involving The Grey Wardens, and which ones she didn't care about, usually whatever story Jowan came up with. Her abrasive personality added an element of comedic revelry to the otherwise grim little dorm room. And as they spun tales far into the night, the boys really began to open up to her, accepting Braith as an honorary member of their little group. At least for the time being.

"So who's going next?" Jowan asked, taking a seat next to Balin.

"I'll go." Braith offered.

"Really? You have a story?" Finn asked curiously.

She grinned wickedly at him, standing up with her hands on her hips. "Sure do. And this one will scare your socks off, I promise ya!"

They were all instantly intrigued.

"Well what are you waiting for? Go ahead!"

Braith eagerly took center stage, preparing herself for what they all hoped would be the best story of the night. Balin smiled at her, he was happy to see his new friend getting along with everyone.

"Tonight, I'm going to be telling a story of the scariest form of magic in all the land." She hunched over as she spoke, a sinister look on her face.

The boys all leaned into their chairs as she continued.

"A story of magic so evil and wicked that even grown men pee themselves in terror! _**Blood magic.**_ "

Balin's smile vanished. All the color and life in his face drained away. A memory, buried deep from within his subconscious, began to rear its ugly head. He began to tremble ever so slightly, sweat forming on his brow. Jowan, instantly seeing his friend in distress, put an arm around him in reassurance. Worry etched onto his face.

"Umm, Braith...maybe that one's not such a good idea." He offered.

"What's the matter, Jowan? You chicken?" She teased.

"You're right, Braith! I think he is. _Bawk bawk bawk._ " Finn began joining in on the fun, flapping his arms like a small bird.

"We're not supposed to talk about that!" He countered. "Besides! You know Balin doesn't like hearing about it."

"You're both just chicken!" Owain joined in.

"Yeah! Chicken!"

"Chicken!"

The boys all began chanting 'chicken' in unison at both of them, all except Anderson, who shared Jowan's look of deep concern for Balin. As the chanting continued, Jowan became increasingly annoyed.

"Listen! We shouldn't be talking about this! It's evil! Pure evil!"

"It's okay Jowan." Balin perked up, righting himself in his seat.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm no chicken!" He spoke confidently. "Let Braith tell her story, she hasn't had a chance to go yet." He had buried any trace of fear he might have had into the back of his mind.

"Alright! Balin's in!" Finn cheered.

"I knew he'd come around."

"Come on Jowan, sit down already! Let Braith tell her story!" The boys all pestered him.

"I...fine." He finally relented, still worried for his friend.

Braith began her tale. A sordid account of an encounter with a Blood Mage she overheard one of the Templars talking about. He spoke of how these mages used the inherent power in their own blood, or even the blood of others to fuel spells that twisted and corrupted their victims minds and bodies. According to the Templars account, Blood Magic originated in the ancient Tevinter Imperium. Where powerful mages would keep hundreds of slaves on hand to use in their cruel blood rituals. They say that, in addition to using two thirds of the Lyrium in the entire Empire, the Tevinter also sacrificed hundreds of thousands of lives to rip open the veil, the bridge between the fade and the mortal realm. This was how they invaded the Golden City, the seat of the maker. It is also said, though these were only rumors, that it was the corrupting power of Blood Magic that ultimately twisted the Golden City, tainting it black and twisting all who stood within it. In the end, even The Maker himself could not remain, so great was the corrupting influence of Blood Magic. These were the true first Darkspawn. Or as the Templar put it. Agents of the Corrupting Blood.

A hush fell over the crowd as her story concluded.

"Wow...I've got chills." Finn finally spoke up, pointing to the goosebumps forming on his arms.

"Me too. I think that was the best one so far!" Owain added.

"Great job, Braith. That one was really scary!

The boys all began to cheer for her, she was eating up the attention.

" _Heh,_ I knew you boys would like it." She stated with pride. "What did you think, Balin?"

"Yeah...it was great." He offered her a small smile, twirling a lock of hair between his fingers.

She frowned, something didn't seem right with him. He avoided looking at her the entire time she told her story. And now he seemed...nervous. She wanted to scare him, but maybe she went a bit too far.

Finn yawned, stretching his arms over his head. "Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm beat. I think it's time we all got some sleep."

"Yeah, I think so too." Owain added. "Braith, there's a spare bunk next to Balin's if you wanna use that."

"Okay! Sounds good." She beamed. " _Err,_ I mean...as long as Balin's okay with that."

He gave her a confused look. "Why wouldn't he be?"

Her face turned crimson, a rare sight for the Boys. "Well...you know."

"No, I don't. What are you talking about?" He cocked his head at her, completely oblivious to what she was referring to.

"Forget it, Owain. It's okay. She can sleep next to me tonight." Balin finally broke the awkward conversation.

Braith gave him a joyful smile. Despite herself, she had had a lot of fun tonight. More so than she had ever thought possible in the Tower. She just wished, however, that Balin had enjoyed her story more.

"We should get to bed you guys, if any of us fall asleep in lecture tomorrow, then Miss Wynne will know we were up all night."

* * *

 _Red. Nothing but the color red was all the little boy could see. Red in his hair, red on his hands, red in his clothes, and red forming a slippery puddle in the floor he now sat in. The boy, no older than four, cried out for his mother. But there was no answer. Above him a woman hovered four feet in the air. Blood draining in floating pools from her wrists, from her legs, and from her neck. Her pale, dead eyes, glazed over and rolled into the back of her skull. A figure stood over her naked body, eyes like two beady little marbles, dark yellow and crazed. A scraggly beard with a twist at the end, a bald head, but most of all...that grin. That yellow toothed grin, followed by the hideous cackle, as the life drained from her body, and into his._

The children awoke to the sound of a blood curdling scream. Balin was sitting up, hands at his side as he cried out for his mother over and over again. Braith, startled by the unexpected commotion, fell out of her bed, hitting the floor with a thud.

Jowan was already at his friend's side the moment he started to hear him scream. Balin was curled up in the fetal position, rocking back and forth. By the glazed over look in his eye, it was clear he wasn't awake. Jowan had seen this happen many times before, and he knew there was only one person who could help him.

"Owain! Run and go get Miss Wynne right now! Tell her it happened again!" He shouted.

Owain, fully aware of what he meant, quickly darted out of the boys dorm to get their teacher. Braith groaned, slowly sitting up off the floor as she looked to see what was going on. A small group of concerned boys had gathered around Balin's cot. As she began to realize who was screaming, she suddenly sprang up, knocking over several kids to get to him.

"What's going on?! Why is he screaming?!" She asked frantically.

"He's having the nightmare again!" Jowan explained over the sound of his friends violent sobs.

"The nightmare? What nightmare?" She asked.

"Last time this happened, he knocked over every bookshelf in the room!" Anders commented, already grabbing a nearby bedpost.

She was clueless to what was going on. But seeing him convulse, sob, and scream in terror the way he was was too much for her to handle. She went to grab him, but Jowan stepped in front of her.

"You can't!" He stretched out his arms, forming a barrier.

"Out of the way, Jowan! I have to help him!" She yelled, attempting to get past him

He grabbed her by the arm, tugging desperately. "No! You don't understand, you can't touch him when he gets like this!"

She turned her head back at him, not understanding. "What do you mean?"

At that moment, the furniture around them began to tremble, causing the whole room to vibrate; knocking over flower pots, dropping paintings to the floor, and taking chips out of the walls.

"Maker's breath, here we go again!" Finn yelled, moments before he was hoisted up into the air by an invisible force.

Braith let out a startled shriek as she too was hoisted up into the air. One by one they were all lifted off the ground by the same force, along with all the furniture. They squealed and squirmed about. Finn twisted about, flipping completely upside down. Anders maintained a death grip on a nearby chandelier.

"What do we do?!" Braith yelled, flailing around in the air as she desperately reached for something to grab onto.

"Just hang on!" Jowan yelled back, maintaining his grip on a nearby bedpost.

The door to the boys dorm suddenly flew open. Wynne carefully stepped into the room, a blue aura surrounding her entire body. She lifted a single hand up into the air and produced a pulse of white light that enveloped the entire room. All the furniture, chairs, and beds, along with every single child were unceremoniously dumped back onto the floor. Some of the kids landed in soft beds, while an unlucky few, Braith included, crashed down onto the hard stone.

Finn groaned, rubbing his aching behind as he stood back up. "Why do I always have the worst possible landing?" He complained.

"Is everyone alright?" Wynne asked calmly.

"Miss Wynne!" Anders called for help, still dangling from the chandelier.

She quickly ran to the child just as his grip began to give way, catching him before he hit the hard floor.

"Maker. You sure are getting heavy, child." She commented, putting him back down on the ground. "Is everyone else okay?"

A few children nodded their heads, the others just sort of grunted and groaned a reluctant yes. They quickly helped each other up, and began picking up nearby furniture and righting up tables. In the confusion and chaos, Braith had managed to find a place under a nearby bed to tuck away and hide. She couldn't afford to let any of the adults see her after she had snuck out of bed.

Wynne sighed in relief, turning her attention to the still violently shaking Balin. She quickly ran to the child and wrapped her arms around him.

"There there, young one. Everything is okay." She cooed.

"It happened again, didn't it Miss Wynne? The nightmare triggered his magic." Jowan was busy restacking a pile of books.

"I'm afraid so. You boys need to head outside for a moment. The templars will be coming soon."

Braith backed further into the wall, making sure she was completely out of site. The other children quickly did as instructed and left. From beneath the bed, the young girl could see everything. Wynne gently rocked the trembling boy in her arms, touching his forehead with her palm. A small, blue light began to radiate from her hand, Balin's trembling mercifully stopped as he slipped back into blissful rest. She quietly laid him back down in bed just as the armored sound of Templar Knights entering the room could be heard. First Enchanter Irving, and Knight Commander Greagor, Braith's father, were with them.

"Andraste's blood, look at this mess!" Greagor commented angrily, picking up a smashed ceramic jar.

"All things considered, it could have been worst." Wynne tried to assure him.

"Worst?! Look at this place, it's as if a bloody hurricane rolled through here." He chucked the piece onto the floor, shattering it.

"The boy has incredibly powerful magic." First Enchanter Irving commented, observing the damage. The wizened old mage kept a calm, indifferent demeanor as compared to the red hot temper the head of the Templars was displaying. "No doubt this little mess is the result of another lapse in control, likely the result of powerful emotions." He continued. "Wynne, would you not agree?"

She nodded, stroking the boys hair. "Yes. The boy has night terrors." She explained. "But my enchantments were supposed to keep them in check. I'm not sure what could have triggered him this time."

"This is the third time this month, Wynne! You assured us both that these 'emotional outbursts' would cease!" Commander Greagor was red hot.

"Knight Commander, I am doing everything I can. You must show some patience. At least no one was hurt."

" _This_ time!" He retorted. "But how many more of these outbursts before he rips open the veil?"

"I assure you that will not happen."

"You also assured me that their would be no more disturbances, and yet here we are. I'm done listening to you, Wynne. If something isn't done about this, I will have no choice but to order the boy be made _**tranquil!**_ "

From below, Braith gasped in horror.

"You can't! He's just a child for pity's sake." Tears formed in Wynne's eyes. "Have you no heart, Commander?"

"I must consider the safety of the other children, not to mention my own men." He declared with finality.

"Greagor, if I might interject." Irving spoke up again. "We have so few mages with the raw potential that this boy possess. To strip him of everything at such a young age, would be a terrible waste."

"And what if this happens again?" He gestured to the giant mess the boy left behind. "What if, next time, the boy rips open the veil and becomes possessed by a demon? Imagine what a terrible abomination he would turn into _."_ The two Templars who had followed Greagor into the room shuddered at the thought.

"I assure you the Circle is more than equipped to deal with one, abnormally gifted youngster." The First Enchanter reassured. "If you're still not convinced, then I will go so far as to oversee the boys studies from this moment forward. We will reign in his power and get it under control, I assure you."

After a moment, the Knight Commander finally calmed down, the redness in his face subsiding. "Fine, Irving. We do it your way. But if this blows out of control it's entirely on _you._ Am I clear?" He pointed directly at the First Enchanter.

"Perfectly, Knight Commander." There was a hint of annoyance in his otherwise unflappable manner..

"Very well then, I'll leave you two to clean this mess up."

With that, the Knight Commander and his men left the room, leaving Wynne and the First Enchanter alone with the unconscious Balin. Wynne collapsed onto the bed, wrapping the sleeping boy up in her arms like a mother protecting her son.

"Maker bless you, First Enchanter. If they had taken him...I'm not sure I could bear seeing that." She began to well up again.

Irving sighed. "You have nothing to thank me for, Wynne." He looked around at the catastrophe. "Nothing has changed until I convince Greagor that the boy is safe. I'll need time to prepare him for his new studies." Irving made a mental list of everything he would need. "In the meantime, I think I have a few old trinkets somewhere in the reliquary that may be able to help him."

"I just wish their was more we could do." She stroked the boy's hair gingerly. "The trauma he went through at such a young age, it's no wonder he has such terrible dreams."

"And with dreams being the bridge that links us to the fade, the source of our magic, it is no wonder he has such terrible bursts of power." Irving mused. "But before we discuss this any further, perhaps we should see to our little guest hiding under the bed."

Braith squeaked in surprise and banged her head against the floorboard. She swore under her breath.

"It's alright child. You can come out now." Wynne reassured in a calm voice.

She slowly crawled out from under her hiding place, covered in dirt from the grimy floor.

"Goodness dear, you're a mess!" Wynne commented incredulously. She placed Balin down and walked over to Braith, kneeling down to begin working on cleaning the messy girl. "Why are you out of bed at this hour?"

She didn't say anything, keeping her gaze cast down to the floor as Wynne cleaned her off.

"If I'm not mistaken, your Greagor's child. Braith, correct?" Irving asked.

"Yes Sir…" She answered quietly, avoiding eye contact.

"What are you doing down here in the middle of the night, young lady? The Sister's must be worried sick about you." Wynne scolded, still scrubbing the dirt off her with a rag she kept in her robes.

"They don't know I'm gone, and I didn't want my father to see me here." She kept herself small, fidgeting with her ponytail as she spoke.

"Goodness me…" Wynne sighed. "You young ones are going to send us old folk into an early grave one of these days, I swear."

"I'm sorry…"

"It's okay dear, just be more mindful of when you…"

"No...you don't understand…" Tears began to well up in her eyes. "I'm sorry...it's my fault that all this happened." She began to tremble.

Irving and Wynne shared a look of confusion with one another.

"What do you mean, child?" He asked, calmly.

"We were all telling ghost stories...and mine was really really scary. I think that's what did it. It was about Blood Magic."

"Oh...oh dear." Wynne frowned.

"Well, that explains a lot. At least we now know it wasn't your enchantments that failed, Wynne." Irving remarked.

"You're not going to let my father make him tranquil are you, First Enchanter?" She stared up at him with pleading eyes, tears streaming down her face. "I've seen the tranquil mages in the tower. It's like there's nothing in them, no joy, no pain, no hope. Becoming tranquil robs you of your ability to feel magic...along with everything else!" Her bottom lip quivered as fresh tears formed in her eyes. "Please! Please, don't let him become tranquil! He's the only friend I have!" She buried her face in her hands and began to sob uncontrollably.

Wynne wrapped her arms reassuringly around the young girl. "Do not fret, my dear. I promise you, we will do everything in our power to take care of young Balin here."

She raised her head. "R….really?" She sniffled.

"Yes." Wynne wiped the girl's face with the sleeve of her robe. "And I believe there is something you can do to help us."

* * *

The next day was business as usual. The boys had a very special private lecture from Wynne on why girls do not become possessed by demons once a month, and the rest of the day flew by without further incident. Balin was called out early to see First Enchanter Irving, which had the children abuzz in gossip. Irving would sometimes walk in on a lecture to see how they were doing, but he never singled out any individual Apprentice before. Let alone took them up to his office.

"So what did the First Enchanter want to speak with you about, you're not in trouble are you?" Jowan asked, as the two of them walked back from the library.

"It wasn't anything like that. He just wanted to know how I was doing in my studies, whether or not was I was happy here, if there was anything I wanted to talk about, it was weird." Balin commented, fiddling with a small, metallic blue ring on his right hand. Ancient runes were carved into its circumference, and it glowed faintly with magical power.

"How long is he gonna make you wear that ring?" Jowan asked curiously.

"I don't know, he wouldn't tell me. Just that I was supposed to keep it on all day. It feels weird though, it's really cold, and it makes me tired all the time."

Jowan frowned. "Well, hopefully he won't make you wear it for very long."

As they walked out to the courtyard, the two were stopped by a familiar face.

"Braith?"

The normally fiery redhead looked subdued. Like she was weighed down by some sort of guilt. She stared at Balin with a mournful expression on her face, her arms crossed gingerly behind her back.

"Umm...hey Balin." She didn't look at him while she spoke, twirling her ponytail around her pointer finger as she did so.

"Hey." He replied awkwardly.

"How are you feeling?"

"Much better now, Jowan filled me in on what happened. I'm sorry you had to see me like that."

She perked up, an incredulous look on her face. "Wait...why are you apologizing to _me?_ "

He stared at the ground, twirling a lock of his hair around his finger. "I was afraid I might of scared you." He admitted. "Sometimes I get these weird dreams, and then stuff flies around and I make a mess. It's really embarrassing." He blushed slightly.

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. After everything she did to him he still genuinely wanted to be nice to her. Wynne was right, this boy was different from the others. Braith smiled, covered her lips, and turned her face away, giggling like an idiot at him.

"What's so funny?" He asked.

"It's nothing." She quickly walked over and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him in close to her. Both boys were visibly shocked by the sudden display of affection from the normally blunt and angry Braith.

"I know how you feel. My mom died too."

He breathed in sharply. After a moment, he hugged her back, wrapping his arms gently around her waist. The two held each other for awhile, before finally letting go. She was beaming at him, her hazel eyes fixed on his.

"From now on, I'm gonna protect you. And you're never gonna have that stupid nightmare ever again."

* * *

Authors Note: The next few chapters will likely cover a similar theme. That of younger versions of the main characters. I'm just trying to flesh out the relationship Balin shares with his friends, especially Braith and Jowan. I start skipping forward a few years next chapter, for anyone worried about being trapped in the prepubescent years. As always, feel free to review and comment!


	3. Assesment

The years that followed changed them all. The young initiates began to mature, both mentally and physically. Each of them developing into the young mages the Maker had destined them to be. Wynne was proud of how far her little students had come, though it was with a heavy heart that she relinquished their instruction to Niall. It was time for their real lessons to begin.

"Come on Jowan, you can do it!" Balin cheered.

The raven haired boy concentrated as hard as he could, channeling the Arcane energy into the palms of his hands.

"Just a bit more Jowan, you're almost there!"

He aimed at the dummy, gathering the energy into a bolt of light. Suddenly, the bolt exploded in his hands, sending him flying back. Balin flinched as his friend hit the stone floor.

"You alright?" He asked, helping him back up to his feet.

He groaned in frustration. "Why can't I do it?! It always blows up in my face!"

"You'll get there, don't worry. It just takes practice." He tried to reassure him.

He folded his arms, kicking dust in the air. "That's easy for you to say, you've already passed your practical exam. You make it look so easy." He grumbled.

"It's not easy for me either, Jowan. I practice just as hard as you do."

"And now you can do the Arcane Bolt _and_ the Arcane Shield, meanwhile I can't even cast a single spell yet without it blowing up." He answered dejectedly.

Balin frowned, he wanted to help but there wasn't much he could do.

"I wish I had a ring like yours." He admitted. "Then I bet it wouldn't be so hard."

Balin stared at the ring on his right hand. The enchanted accessory that Irving had given him almost three years ago. "It doesn't work that way Jowan, you know that."

"I know, I know, it's just that Instructor Niall pays so much more attention to you than he does the rest of us when we practice. It's not fair."

"It's not like I can help it…" Balin responded, slightly hurt by Jowan's words.

"Hey, hold on. You know I'm not blaming you right?" He asked, realizing how selfish he was being.

Balin's head drooped, he felt guilty.

Jowan frowned. "Listen, forget what I said. It's good that he's paying so much attention to you, it means you have potential."

He lifted his head. "You sure?"

He smiled at him. "Of course I'm sure. You're my best friend. I'm happy for you no matter what."

The two hugged each other before returning to their practice. After a few minutes, a middle aged Instructor clad in the robes of a Mage who had successfully completed the Harrowing entered the room, clapping his hands to get the young student's attention.

"Everyone! Put away your staves. Practice time is over." He spoke in a calm, almost melancholy voice.

The student's all groaned in complaint

"Already? But we just got started."

"I'm sorry Finn, but we have to cut it short today. The First Enchanter is expecting you all in the Central Repository."

"The First Enchanter? What does he want us for, Instructor Niall?" Owain asked, putting away his training staff.

Niall smiled excitedly at them. "Today's a big day for you youngsters. Today, you're going to begin learning some _real_ magic."

* * *

The students gathered around Irving as they entered the Central Tome Repository. The large, circular room was covered in ancient books of Arcane knowledge. In the center of the room was a pedestal with an enchanted circle in the middle. Irving stood off to the side of this circle as the young initiates filed in around him.

"Good afternoon, students." He greeted them professionally.

"Good afternoon, First Enchanter." They responded in unison

That tickled him. "Your enthusiasm is good to hear, Enchanter Niall tells me you have all been practicing hard on your Arcane spells." They all nodded their heads at him. "Though some of you appear to have progressed a little farther than others, I want you all to know that we are very proud of you." He continued. "Do not be discouraged if you are not yet at the level you hoped to be, you are each progressing at your own pace, and will flourish as splendid Mages of the Circle in time." Jowan's head drooped slightly, Balin gave him a reassuring pat on the back. "Now then, can any of you take a guess as to why I have brought you here today?"

"To announce that you're opening the first ever Co Ed Dorm in the Tower?" Owain asked hopefully.

The male students laughed at his little joke. The girls, meanwhile, all rolled their eyes. Irving chuckled, shaking his head disbelievingly at the adolescent boy.

"The restlessness of youth, I swear. No no, we are here for much more important matters. Today, we will be connecting you to your Primal Spell Class." He explained.

"Primal Spell Class? What's that?" Emile asked curiously.

"You've all been working hard to Master the basic Arcane Spells. But there is far more to Magic than simply bending the energies of the Fade." He explained. "To truly master spellcraft, you must add a little something else."

"You all began your Arcane training when you each turned thirteen." Niall continued. "This is where all students begin when learning practical magic, as it is the most basic form of spell craft available."

"Indeed." Irving acknowledged Niall's contribution. "Up until now, you all have only learned basic magic to practice harnessing the power of the Fade and shaping it. Now, you shall learn how to breathe life into your spells."

"Breathe life? What does that mean, First Enchanter?" Balin asked.

"Today child, you will learn how to add the primal energy of the elements to your spells, thus changing them into something different."

"In other words, class." Niall stepped in. "Today you will be learning how to cast one of the elements."

"No way!" Owain cheered excitedly.

The students all murmured amongst each other, each of them curious as to what kind of spells they could cast.

Niall chuckled at their enthusiasm, raising a hand to call for order. "Okay, okay settle down everyone. Let Irving continue."

The First Enchanter smirked. "Your eagerness will serve you all well. Before we can begin however, we must first identify what kind of primal spells you are each capable of casting."

"You mean we don't get to choose for ourselves?" Finn asked, sounding somewhat disappointed.

"Not at first. Learning the Primal Arts is different from learning other types of spells." He explained.

"How so?"

"As you all know, our spells react to our emotions. Specifically, they react to our willpower." Irving continued. "However, in the case of the Primal Elements, our emotions directly influence what kind of spells you can perform."

"There are four basic primal spell types that we know of. Earth, fire, frost, and lightning. Each one is conjured forth based on different raw emotions the caster conveys." Niall explained.

"So what you're saying is, our personalities directly affect what kind of primal spell we can cast." Balin concluded.

"Exactly right, Balin. Well done." Niall praised. "In time, you may be able to learn others, but by understanding which one you are the most attuned to, you will have an excellent place to start."

The students all chatted nervously amongst themselves. What would they get? How strong would it be? Which element were they hoping for? They nervously discussed it amongst themselves before Niall called for silence once more.

"So how do we figure out which element we are most attuned to?" Emile asked eagerly.

"Simple, you will channel your magic through this circle under Irving's feet. It will tell us which element you are aligned to." Niall pointed to the enchanted circle next to Irving. "Everyone form a line. We will assess, one at a time, which element you are the most suited for."

The students eagerly formed a single file line, the impatient ones shoving their way up to the front of the pack. Balin took his spot directly behind Jowan. The first to step up to the circle was Finn, he conjured forth as much magical energy as he could muster into the palms of his hands, directing it at the circle on the ground. After a brief moment, the circle began to glow a deep blue, sparks began to dance along its surface. The students gazed on in amazement.

"It would seem you are most aligned with the element of lightning." Niall declared.

"Lightning is the purest form of Primal Spellcraft. Those who wield it are logical, objective, and have a deep thirst for knowledge." Irving explained.

" _Ha!_ I knew it!" Finn exclaimed proudly, jumping off the pedestal.

Next up was Anders. The boy nervously approached the circle, channeling his energy. The circle turned bright red and began to heat up. Flames burst from the circle's circumference, making the students jump in surprise.

"Ah. The element of Fire. For those mages who are passionate, driven, and goal oriented." Irving declared.

Anders smiled meekly up at him before stepping down. The others seemed baffled, they weren't expecting him to get that. After Anders came Emile, who approached the circle confidently and without hesitation. The circle beneath her turned white, the room began to get noticeably colder.

"Frost magic. A calm, calculating, and reserved demeanor marks the mage who wields the element of Ice. Frost mages are confident in themselves, but do not feel the need to brag or boast."

She nodded, stepping calmly off the pedestal. Owain was next. He hurriedly stepped onto the circle. It immediately turned grey, hardening into stone.

" _Huh?_ What does that mean?" He asked.

"The element of Earth has responded to you, young Owain. Stubborn, sturdy, and proud. Earth Mages do not falter in their beliefs, and are concluded in their set ambitions and goals."

"Okay good. I just didn't want Frost. I _hate_ the cold." He commented with relief.

The other students chuckled at him. One by one they each approached the circle. One or two lucky individuals would receive two elements, much to the envy of the rest of the class. Finally, it was Jowan's turn.

"Jowan, step forward please."

He excitedly approached the circle, conjuring forth as much magic as he could muster….however, the circle did not change.

"Hmm, try it again lad, and this time with a bit more feeling." Niall offered.

Again, Jowan summoned all the power he could muster. Again, the circle did nothing, much to his agitation.

"Come on Jowan, give it more will!" Balin offered.

"I'm trying, okay?! Maybe the circle is just broken." He countered.

Irving frowned. "Oh dear...it would appear you do not yet possess the willpower to connect to your Element. I am sorry Jowan." He consoled.

The young boy was crestfallen. All around him the other students were murmuring to each other and pointing at him. Some were even giggling at his expense. Balin frowned, his friend looked completely humiliated.

"Step down for now Jowan, we need to keep the line moving." Nialll was ready to move on.

"No wait, I can do this!" He tried again, desperately wanting the stupid circle to just light up already.

"That's enough child. Anymore and you'll pass out." Irving intervened.

"But-"

Irving raised a hand before he could protest further. "There's always next time." He assured. "We all develop at different rates, you simply require a bit more time. There is nothing to be ashamed of."

Irving was trying to be understanding, but Balin knew it was no use. There was nothing he could say that would make this situation any less embarrassing. Jowan was the only one so far who failed to align with an element. He was already teased mercilessly for being the least developed of the initiates, this was only going to make matters worst. The poor boy finally stepped down from the pedestal, looking completely defeated.

"I'm so sorry Jowan. You'll get it next time, I'm sure." Balin tried to comfort him.

Jowan didn't respond.

"Alright, Balin you're next." Niall motioned for him to step up.

 _Uh oh_...a thought occurred to him at that moment. What if the same thing happened to him? His ring could interfere, or he might not get any element he aligns with. Either way, after what just happened to Jowan, Balin was hesitant to step up.

"Come on, Balin! Move it or lose it!" The girl behind him was getting impatient.

He hesitantly stepped up to the pedestal. The normally impartial Irving cracked a smile for the first time since beginning the process. "Don't be nervous, child. Let us see for ourselves the true extent of your potential."

The boy hesitantly began to draw magic into the palm of his hands, remembering to direct his concentration toward the stored power in his ring. The circle began to glow brilliantly, illuminating the entire room...but otherwise failed to morph as it did with the others. His heart sunk.

"Maker's breath, not Balin too." Emile commented, placing a hand over her mouth.

"Jowan I can understand, but Balin seemed more talented than that." Finn replied.

"It's okay Balin, I guess we both just need more practice." Jowan reassured. He seemed somewhat relieved he wasn't the only one anymore.

"First Enchanter! Are you seeing this?!" Niall pointed to the glowing circle. The normally subdued Instructor was wide eyed and practically hysterical.

"Indeed I am." Irving calmly replied. There was a hint of disbelief mixed with amazement in his voice. "I knew the boy would be talented, but I didn't anticipate it would go this far."

"Wait...I don't understand. Did I do something wrong?" Balin asked in confusion.

"Certainly not. Quite the opposite in fact, what you have performed here is nothing short of miraculous, child." Irving commented with pride.

"Full synchronization. And on his first attempt too. I've heard of this happening before, but I never thought I'd see it with my own eyes!" Niall exclaimed.

"So what does that mean? What element am I in tune with?"

Arnell and Irving both looked at each other and then back at the boy. Irving smiled in delight.

"All of them."

* * *

"Congratulations Balin! You're so lucky!"

"Yeah, you can pick whatever element you want to learn.

"I'll bet he Masters all of them."

A group of female students had encircled the young Mage. All of them eagerly chatting his ear off.

He chuckled uncomfortably. He wasn't used to this kind of attention. "No no, you girls are mistaken. I'm just like you, I promise." He twirled a lock of his hair nervously, his cheeks slightly flushed. The trio of girls giggled at him in amusement.

" _Aww_ , he's so cute when he gets all shy like that." One of the girls, a blonde, wrapped her hands around his right arm and pulled him in close. "You must be so talented, do you think you could tutor me sometime?" She batted long lashes at him, her voice was almost sultry.

Another girl, a brunette, approached him; wrapping herself around his left arm. "I'd like a lesson too, I was wondering if you could help me with my fire magic." Her breath was hot against his ear. Any closer and he would have been wearing the girl.

"Hey no fair! I was gonna ask him to help with my ice magic first!" Another girl, an elf, wrapped herself around his neck, her chest pressing firmly against his back.

The trio began to squabble amongst each other. Balin, was crimson.

"Girls, please don't fight. I'm sure I can help all of you." He offered politely.

"Yeah, well you need to help _me_ first." The blonde jerked his arm sharply.

"No, _me_ first!" The brunette tugged him in the opposite direction.

"No, _me!"_ The elf's grip on his back tightened.

The three girls continued to argue loudly with each other while using Balin as rope in an impromptu game of tug of war. From off to the side, his friends looked on at the spectacle. All of them horribly amused...except for Jowan.

"It just isn't fair…" He sounded bitter.

"I know right? Here we are dying of thirst the kids over there drowning to death!" Owain commented. He was envious, but couldn't help but crack a smile of pride for his younger colleague.

"You two are just jealous that girls are attracted to talent." Emile tucked a strand of loose hair behind her pointed ear. "Maybe if you studied harder you'd be more popular with the ladies."

" _Bah_ what do you know, Emile?" Owain brushed her off.

Her expression soured. "You realize I'm a girl, right?" She asked, folding her arms.

"I don't care about any of that that." Jowan interjected. "Ever since we started practicing our magic he's been getting all the attention. From the instructors, from the students, even the First Enchanter favors him over us. It's no wonder he was able to pull that four elements thing off."

Emile looked at him in disbelief. "Why are you so bitter? Shouldn't you be happy for your friend? He's been doing really well."

"You wouldn't understand." Jowan too, brushed her off.

Her face became heated. "Fine! Be stubborn then! I'll just go talk to my _other_ friends if neither of you stubborn idiots are gonna listen to me." The little girl stamped her foot down with all the ferocity and intensity of an angered kitten. She stormed off in a huff, muttering something about _dumb boys_ under her breath. Owain watched as she left, admiring the small elf girl from afar.

"So Anders, be honest with me, what do you think my chances are with Emily?" He asked.

Anders, who had been keeping to himself throughout the whole exchange, merely shrugged. "How should I know?"

"Oh come on! You're even more popular with girls than Balin is!" Owain commented. Pointing towards to the distraught Mage as he attempted to escape the grasp of the trio of ladies. "I see them staring at you all the time in class. You can't tell me you don't notice."

Again he shrugged. "I guess I just have other things on my mind." He replied, gazing over at Finn; who was busy congratulating a fellow mage for getting two elements.

"Balin!"

A familiar voice cut through the air. Braith charged into the room, knocking over several students in the process. The three girls who were previously all over Balin quickly got out of the way as she proceeded to hoist him up in the air as if he weighed nothing.

"Braith! Wait! You're crushing me!" He strained to get the air out as the fiery girl squeezed him tighter. Finally she let him go, moments before he was on the verge of passing out.

"I overheard the First Enchanter, he said you've been doing so well in your studies he's going to advance you to an Apprenticeship!" She was elated.

"He did?" Balin sounded skeptical.

"I heard it myself! The First Enchanter was talking with my Father and I heard him say _he's coming along so well, I'm beginning to think that he will advance quicker in a private environment. I'm considering fast tracking him for an apprenticeship."_ She did her best Irving impression.

"No way!"

"Did you hear that?"

"He's going to be an Apprentice! He must be one of the youngest in the tower!"

The whole room was set abuzz with the sounds of more congratulations and praise for the young mage. The girls wanted to slip back in and hug him in celebration, but the sight of Braith standing next to him made them too nervous to attempt it. Much to Balin's relief.

"You've come a long way kid. You're not that same weak little nughugger we knew three years ago." Cullen, who had accompanied Braith, tousled the boy's hair. Much to his chagrin.

Before he knew it, Balin was being hoisted up on Owain and Braith's shoulders and paraded around the room as the other students flocked around him in celebration. Everyone cheered, everyone except Jowan, who simply stared. Balin caught his gaze for a brief moment, surprisingly icy which alarmed him, but he was soon carried away and thus forgot about it entirely.

For the first time since their friendship began, Jowan realized he had an incredibly bitter pill to swallow. Balin, who he often thought of as the younger brother he always wanted, was a much more talented mage than he was.

 _This is going to change everything...I just know it._

* * *

"So this is my apprentice to be, eh? A bit young don't you think, Irving?" The bald, older mage with a furrowed brow and heavy set wrinkles examined Balin's file thoughtfully.

"I realize this is irregular Uldred, but I wouldn't ask you to take on this responsibility if I didn't think the boy had true potential." Irving responded.

"I see he's Elf Blooded." Uldred commented, fiddling with the paper. "No record of his father, though."

"He doesn't have one. We suspect he's the result of an affair with a nobleman."

"A bastard then?" He squinted at a section of the page. "Interesting, it says here he was exposed to blood magic."

Irving nodded woefully. "The mother was killed by a Tevinter Slaver. They found him in a warehouse in the Denerim Alienage, covered in her blood."

Uldred pondered this information for a moment, placing a thoughtful thumb up to his chin. "Such trauma _is_ capable of producing very potent magic. Especially at his age. I think I now understand your interest in him."

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation.

"Enter."

Wynne stepped into Irving's office quietly. "Apologies First Enchanter, I hope I'm not intruding. I overheard some of the children talking about Balin. They claim you intend to fast track him for Apprenticeship. Is this true?"

Irving chuckled. "Word travels fast it seems. It's a wonder we can keep _anything_ secret. Yes Wynne, it is true."

She bowed her head. "In that case I would like to officially put my name forward as a candidate for his instructor."

He frowned. "I see...while I appreciate your enthusiasm Wynne, I'm afraid the position has already been filled."

She was visibly shocked as well as disappointed. "I see...wait, surely you do not mean Uldred?" She acknowledged the presence of the other Senior Enchanter wearily.

Uldred scowled, crossing his arms. "And what if he does? Would that upset you so terribly, Wynne?" He asked in a perturbed voice.

"I wasn't speaking to you." She glibly remarked.

"That's quite enough you two. No sense in digging up old wounds like this." Irving interrupted.

The two Senior Enchanters glared at one another distrustfully.

"Your disagreements are a thing of the past. Wynne, while I'm certain the boy would be in good hands with you, Uldred has worked with gifted students many times before. Some of our best and brightest are the result of his work, he should be perfect for helping our young Balin develop his natural talents."

"Balin needs more than just an instructor, First Enchanter." She argued, turning her attention away from Uldred for a moment. "That boy needs compassion, care, and understanding. He's been through so much already, and he's just now beginning to come out of his shell. If you try to force him into something he's not comfortable with, he could shut everyone out again."

"You can't coddle the boy forever, Wynne." Uldred interjected in a pompous manner. "Eventually he will have to stand on his own two feet. The Harrowingwill be just as much a threat to him as it was to all of us."

A shiver ran up her spine. She didn't even want to _think_ about that.

"Uldred, I think this will do for now. We can discuss the rest of the details at a later date." Irving quickly changed the subject.

The bald Enchanter nodded. "Of course Irving, I'll be attending to my research. If you have further need of me, simply ask." He bowed his head respectfully to Irving before leaving the room, barely acknowledging Wynne's presence as he left.

"This doesn't feel right, Irving. I don't trust him." She commented as soon as he left the room.

Irving sighed wearily, rubbing his forehead. "You've made your dislike of Uldred very clear to me in the past, Wynne. I know you have your reasons but I cannot act solely based on your feelings. Uldred has proven time and time again he can bring out the best in our Students."

She crossed her arms, staring at the door he left from. "It's not his ability I question, First Enchanter. It's his motives. I don't trust he will treat the boy properly."

Irving chuckled. "Wynne, I know you care deeply for young Balin. Which is why you must trust my judgement. Uldred is right, the Harrowing is a very real threat the boy _will_ have to face one day."

Again, a chill creeped up her spine.

"I...I just want what's best for him." She argued.

Irving placed his hands on her shoulders. "Then trust that I am doing everything in my power to give him every advantage he will need."

She wanted to protest further, but finally relented. "I...I understand, Irving. But only because we've been through so much together. Know that in this moment I am trusting _you._ Not him." She wearily replied.

He nodded respectfully. Having said her piece, Wynne turned and left the private study of the First Enchanter. A melancholy tone hanging over her like a shroud.

* * *

Author's Note: For this chapter, I really wanted focus on Jowan. One of the things that always bugged me about Dragon Age Origin's Mage path was that it was never properly explained why Jowan (spoilers ahead for those who haven't done the Mage path) turned to Blood Magic. All we really get is, he thought it would make him a better mage. I wanted to give my interpretation of why he decided to begin practicing the forbidden art. Let me know if you agree or disagree with my interpretation.


	4. Resentment

Jowan channeled the powers of the Fade into the palms of his outstretched hands. Slowly, the energy began to cool and take form. A small blizzard began to stir at his fingertips. This was finally it. He was months behind everyone else, but he finally did it. He discovered his element. Now it was just a matter of harnessing his potential. He aimed the spell at the circular stone wall in front of him, putting all his power into the icy ball of magic, before releasing the energy directly at his target. It soared through the air like a comet streaking across the night sky.

The spell splattered harmlessly as it made contact. Blasting small tufts of snow and ice in all directions. The other students, who had been observing, all stifled giggles. Owain poked his head out from the other side of the stone structure, the smuggest of grins plastered on his face.

"Did someone leave the window open in here?" He joked.

The room burst into a fit of hysterical giggling. Jowan groaned in frustration, folding his arms as the whole room mocked him. He had failed to break through Owain's Earth Shield spell...again.

"That means the score stands at five-nill. I believe that makes Owain the winner." Emile declared, sweeping her hand to Owain in a grand fashion.

He flexed and celebrated, shaking his conjoined fists together in a goofy manner; arousing more chuckling from the nearby students. Jowan bitterly stewed in the corner.

"Better luck next time, Jowan." Owain said, trying to show sportsmanship. He placed his hand on the giant stone disk and released the spell. Slowly, it began to crumble away into dust which then disappeared into the air.

"Set it up again! I wanna try one more time." Jowan defiantely stood his ground.

"Forget it! I'm bored with that spell. Go practice on a dummy or something." Owain blew him off, walking back over to Emile. "Let's go work on our Spirit Magic together." He offered.

"Okay!" She beamed, clapping excitedly.

The two left for a different corner of the room. The small group of students dispersed, resuming their own practice. Watching the others train, Jowan felt completely inadequate. The last few months had been miserable for him. While the others went off and practiced their new, interesting Primal Magic he was the only one stuck practicing the basic Arcane Spells. For the past few months he had been completely alone during his studies, with not even his best friend around anymore to cheer him up. He was so happy when he finally got the enchanted circle to show him his element was Ice, and he immediately began working on his first spell so he could show his friends. But by the time he had practiced enough to make it functional, they were all so far ahead of him that it just ended up looking pitiful. He didn't want to admit it, but there was no denying his jealousy.

Owain and Emile had begun bonding over their mutual love of Spirit Magic, and Anders was so advanced in his Fire Magic he could light a torch with the snap of his fingers. Finn excelled at everything he did to the point he was put in Advanced lessons, and when they discovered he was a natural prodigy at Creation Magic and the Healing Arts he was fast tracked for an apprenticeship.

And then their was Balin.

Private instructor, constant attention from the First Enchanter, and access to the Advanced Magics section of the library. Maker only knows how much more powerful _he_ had become.

"My my, look at the little baby mages hard at work. How cute."

Their practice was cut short by a familiar, condescending tone. Emile's face instantly lit up.

"Braith!" She ran over to her dear friend and hugged her tight.

Braith returned her affection, squeezing the air out of the tiny elf girl. Owain joined them, knocking fists with Cullen and Carrol, who were standing right behind the redhead as always. It had been three years since Balin first made peace with Braith, and in that time they had all become inseparable.

"I hope you guys don't mind, we brought some company with us."

Standing behind them were two young Apprentice Mages sporting brand new Acolyte staffs. Despite having only been in Apprenticeship for three months, Balin and Finn seemed older somehow. More experienced. Emile ran and hugged Balin first, Owain quickly joined her.

"It's so good to see you guys!" He said, wrapping them both up in a group hug. "I've missed you alot. I hope you've been doing well without us." Somehow, he even sounded more mature.

"Finn!" Anders nearly tackled the other Apprentice to the ground.

"Woah, hey hey hey!" Finn waved his hands indignantly as he was squeezed half to death. "Careful Anders, don't crease the robes. I just had them pressed." He whined.

"Who cares about the bloody robes, I haven't seen you in a week!" He squeezed him tighter.

Finn chuckled, finally returning his affection. "I know. Sorry about that, but our instructors have been running us ragged." He groaned, stretching out his back. "We meant to visit sooner and help you guys with your spells."

Balin spotted his best friend in the corner, all by himself. He beamed, waving at him excitedly. Jowan smiled weakly and waved back, running over to hug his friend. Despite how things had been going, he was still happy to see him.

As the boys separated into their own conversation, Emile returned to Braith.

"How was Chantry studies today?"

She groaned, sticking her finger in the back of her mouth and making gagging noises. "I never want to hear the Chant of Light again as long as I live." She punched her in the arm playfully. "But forget that. Where've you been, you little knife ears? It feels like I haven't talked to you in days."

A blush creeped over her cheeks. "Sorry. I've been spending time with Owain." She explained, staring at the ground.

Braith crossed her arms and raised an inquisitive brow at her. "Again? You two have certainly been spending a lot of time with each other. Something you wanna fill me in on?"

"It's not like that!" She squeaked.

"Like what? I wasn't commenting on anything." Braith shrugged, playing dumb.

"You know damn good and well what!" She huffed, not buying the act for a minute.

The boys were off having their own conversation when Emile began stomping her foot like an impatient rabbit. The way she always did when she was mad.

"You were right, Owain." Cullen nudged him and pointed in Emile's direction. "She's super cute when she gets all worked up and flustered like that."

Owain scratched the back of his head, chuckling uncomfortably. He offered Emile an apologetic smile, who instantly turned completely scarlet.

"Aww, she's even cuter when she blushes." Braith teased.

Emile turned her head, covering her face with her sleeves.

"D...Don't tease me like that!" She whined.

"Relax hun, you know I'm just kidding around." Braith wrapped her arm around her.

A devious grin crossed her lips as she gave a knowing wink to Cullen, who instantly picked up on her que. Without warning, she hoisted up the unsuspecting Elf on her shoulder and twirled her around.

" _Eeek!_ What are you doing?!" She shouted, flailing her arms around indignantly.

Braith put the disoriented Elf down and gave her push towards the boys. She staggered uneasily in their direction. It was at that moment that Cullen shoved Owain directly to her. The two collided into each other and fell onto the floor.

" _Ow!_ Cullen, what the hell?!" Owain sat up, rubbing his aching head. "Why did you just-" It was at that moment that he realized he was laying directly on top of Emile. " _Uhhh…_ "

The poor girl shut her eyes and turned her head away. Her face the deepest crimson imaginable. Owain quickly got up, helping her to her feet as well.

"Sorry! Sorry! I'm so sorry!" He apologized profusely.

"See? I told you they had a thing for each other." Braith's comment created another surge of laughter among the group of friends. Even Balin cracked a smile at the commotion.

"You...you are all just…you are all just _**horrible!**_ " The little elf girl buried her face in her hands and ran off.

"Emile wait!" Owain chased after her.

"Be swift, Prince Charming! Your Princess awaits you!" Cullen jeered at him jokingly.

Owain gave him the finger as he ran off, which made them laugh even harder. The two had been secretly fawning over each other for over a month now. Braith couldn't have asked for a more perfect setup.

"You guys are awful." Balin chuckled, shaking his head unbelievingly at their little prank.

"Aww come on, lighten up kid." Cullen tousled the young mages hair. "We were just giving those two a much needed push in the right direction. You'll understand one day, when you find a girl you like."

 _Wait, what did he say?_ For some reason, that comment made his heart jump. He had no idea why, he hadn't given much thought to that sort of thing up until now. Sure, he seemed to get a lot of attention from girls these days, but none of them seemed to interest him. So why was his stomach suddenly so fluttery? It didn't make any sense to him.

And then he looked over at Braith.

The way she smiled, that little laugh of hers that seemed to always border on bubbly giggling. The way she paraded around like a tomboy when deep down she had a genuinely girlish side she refused to show anyone. Her braided hair, her hazel eyes….the way she stared back at him.

 _Maker's breath, she was staring at him right now!_

"Uhhh Balin? You okay?"

He instantly snapped out of his trance. She gave him a weird look.

He scratched the back of his head. "What? Uhh..oh! Yeah...yeah I'm…I'm fine." His face turned slightly red.

"What's the matter? I don't have something in my teeth do I?" She inspected with her tongue, trying to find any trace of a scrap of food or debris.

"No no! It's nothing, I was just...it's nothing."

She shrugged. "Whatever you say."

As the energy of the group died down, they began splitting up into individual conversations, leaving Balin alone with his thoughts. He stared thoughtfully at the fiery redheaded girl who had become the closest part of his life in recent months.

 _Yeah...it's absolutely nothing._

* * *

"Concentrate Balin. Hold the spell, you've got it."

Balin focused his magical energy into holding the Anti Magic Barrier that enveloped him. A bead of sweat formed on his brow. This spell required an ungodly amount of magical energy.

"Keep it up, you're about to set a new record." Uldred recorded the span of time using a nearby hourglass.

The young mage took deep, labored breaths. The barrier felt smothering, as if the air around him were a few degrees warmer than on the outside. His arms began to burn from being raised in the air for too long. As the sand rose closer and closer to the new record mark Balin's mind began to drift off. A fiery redhead suddenly popped into his mind, causing his concentration to waver completely. The barrier dispelled causing him to collapse to the floor. He panted heavily, wiping the sweat from his brow.

Uldred scowled. The sand had not yet reached the record marker. "You were so close, what happened?"

"Apologies instructor. I'm not sure what's wrong with me today." Balin admitted.

"Your mind is distracted. I can see it in your eyes." His instructor shrewdly observed. "Why do your thoughts wander so?"

Balin turned his head away, uncomfortable with the answer to that question. Uldred sighed, shaking his head in mild disappointment.

"A mage's mind must be focused at all times. Distractions, doubts, small lapses in judgement, these are all tools that a crafty demon can use against you." Uldred turned his head, his mood soured. "The Circle shows no mercy to those who cannot repel the demonic forces that threaten us. We are seen as a dangerous liability." He sounded incredibly bitter as he spoke those words. "Remember that your ultimate goal is survival at any costs. Demons, Templars, Maleficar, none of them will show you mercy while you take precious time collecting your thoughts." He lectured.

Balin frowned, nodding shamefully. "I understand, Instructor. I apologize for my lapse in concentration."

"I think that will be enough for today. Your mind needs rest."

Balin rose from the ground, dusting himself off. "I...yes Instructor, I understand." He bowed apologetically.

Uldred folded his arms. "See to it that you are more clear headed first thing tomorrow. I expect you to hold the barrier for much longer. Understood?"

"Yes Instructor, understood." He bowed respectfully once more.

Uldred nodded approvingly. "Very good, dismissed."

Balin scurried off to a nearby aqueduct to wash his face. The cool water felt refreshing on his overheated skin. The water, which fell freely from a small fountain on one end of small reservoir, was sucked into another fountain in a magically generated reverse geyser on the other end of the reservoir, ensuring a constant supply of fresh, clean drinking water for the practicing students to wash off with and hydrate. While a bit extravagant, it beat drinking from the lake.

Finn, who had finished with his instructor as well, joined Balin next to the small aqueduct, washing his hands obsessively with a nearby bar of animal fat.

"You finished early too?" He asked, thoroughly scrubbing his hands.

Balin nodded, sighing wearily. "Uldred is getting frustrated with me, I can tell. I was so close to holding the barrier past my record point." He twirled a lock of his hair nervously. "He told me if I don't get it soon, he will start casting sparks at me every time my will wavers."

Finn's expression soured. "He sure is tough on you, isn't he? I get that it's important we understand this, but even my Instructor isn't _that_ much of a hardass."

Balin sighed. "He expects a lot from me. As does Irving. I just don't want to disappoint anyone."

"What has you so distracted anyway?" Finn asked curiously. "Normally you're the most focused out of all of us. What have you been thinking about lately?"

He turned his face away to hide the blush creeping over his cheeks. A familiar redhead popping into his mind once more. "I've just had a lot on my mind recently." He lied.

"Maybe you should spend more time practicing? I get that you want to help the others but they seem to be doing fine on their own." Finn pointed out. "I'm sure it would be okay if you missed one or two sessions."

"You're forgetting Jowan…"

"Oh...right." Finn cursed under his breath. "I can't believe he's still having so much trouble. He needs to study harder or he's going to hold everyone else back."

"That's not the problem." Balin assured, leaning against the stone structure. "He's been working harder than any of us to improve."

"But his magic is pitiful." Finn countered. "It's been months now and he still can't cast anything other than a handful of Ice spells and basic Arcane spells."

Balin frowned worriedly. "He just lacks confidence in himself. He needs more willpower."

"What the hell are we gonna do? If he doesn't improve…."

His stomach churned. "I know Finn. I know. You don't have to say it."

Finn rubbed his temples wearily. "I just hope he doesn't hold them all back."

Balin patted Finn on the shoulder. "Come on. Let's go check on their progress."

The two Apprentice Magi exited the small refresher room, and made their way down to the lower level to help the initiates with their training. From the nearby shadows, Jowan stewed in silent resentment.

* * *

He was bitter. There was no denying it anymore. Despite how much he tried to pretend he was okay, Jowan knew in his heart that he wasn't. He hated this. He hated magic. It wasn't fair that he couldn't improve, no matter what he did. He was still well behind everyone else, and Balin's words only proved to further justify his resentment. What right did he have to judge him like that? To talk down to him as if he was so beneath him? After everything he had done to help his friend, now suddenly he was better than him? What was worst was how he kept coming down to practice to rub it in. He was sick of him showing off, the way his trio of fangirls would cheer and swoon over every spell he cast. Today he showed them how he could combine fire and ice energy to cast water spells. Then he went a step farther by recasting the spell with Ice energy, morphing the shapes of his spells at will. It infuriated Jowan, it took him months just to perfect one frost spell….and now the showoff was doing spirit magic.

Balin concentrated his magical energy, forming the Anti Magic Barrier he had been taught by Uldred. "Okay Emile, go ahead."

She fidgeted nervously from the other side of the practice room. "Are you sure about this?" She asked hesitantly.

He nodded with confidence. "It'll be alright. I wouldn't ask you to do this if I wasn't confident in my abilities." He gave her a reassuring smile. "It'll be okay. Trust me."

She gulped down her fears and nodded, taking a deep breath. Pushing the doubts into the back of her mind, she narrowed her eyes at him, her razor sharp focus returning. She conjured forth primal energy into the tip of her practice staff, a small frost nova began to swirl like a hurricane around her. "Okay. Just remember you asked for this." She declared boldly, aiming the staff directly at him. With a single flick of her wrist the wintery blast hurled toward Balin, enveloping him in a typhoon of snow and ice. The other initiates gazed on, a mixture of fear and awe written on their faces. The moment she cast the spell, Emile immediately felt her doubt return. _Did I put too much into that?_ She wondered. Her willpower wavered and the spell began to lose its form. It finally petered out into nothing, leaving only a small pile of snow and Ice on the floor. Balin was completely untouched, much to the relief of the rest of the room.

"You're still holding back, Emile." He chastised. "Give it more will."

She growled, stomping her foot in frustration. "I'm trying, okay?! It's not exactly easy shooting at my friend, you know!"

Balin chuckled, lowering his spell. "That's the point. You need to get used to using your magic on a living target."

"I still don't get why though." Owain interjected. "What's so different about training on a dummy?"

"Because…" Balin explained. "Dummies don't bleed, or cry, or show fear in their eyes. Casting spells on a Dummy is one thing, but using your magic on another person is entirely different."

They all murmured to each other, some understanding, some still confused. His trio of fangirls clung to every word he said, despite not understanding any of it. Balin sighed, they still weren't getting it.

"Listen. When you're out in the field, or your in the Fade, you can't expect the enemy to behave like a dummy. You have to be prepared to look them in the eye as you cast a spell. You can't allow your willpower to waver, even for a moment or they will exploit that weakness. Emile, you have more raw talent in your pinky than some of the older Apprentices I know. But you're still too hesitant. When you attack me, you need to strike to kill."

Emile blushed, turning her head away. Owain gave her a reassuring smile, showing he still believed in her.

"I understand. Or at the very least, I think I get it." She commented.

Balin smiled, nodding his head. "Good. Okay Jowan, you're up next." He waved for him to step forward.

"I'm not going, pick someone else." He coldly replied, not looking at him.

Balin blinked several times in confusion. _What was eating at him?_ He wondered. "Come on, Jowan. It's important you practice."

"Just pick someone else! I'm not going!" He snapped. His face was red.

Owain glared at him. "What's your problem?" He asked impatiently.

"I'm not gonna go up there and just be humiliated again!" He yelled. "I'm not here for your amusement, Owain."

"Where do you get off talking to him like that?" Emile snarled, standing between Jowan and Owain.

"Stay out of it! Nobody was talking to you."

"Hey! Don't talk to her like that!" Owain shoved Jowan, who in turn shoved Owain. The rest of the students looked on nervously, murmuring to each other about whether or not a fight was about to break out.

"Guys guys!" Balin rushed to get in-between them, pulling them apart. "Calm down! Look, I don't know what's going on but there's no need to fight."

"Why the hell are you even here?!" Jowan snapped at him.

That shook him. Balin retreated slightly, turning his head away. "Wh...what do you mean? I'm just trying to teach you guys how to-"

"We never asked for your help!" He lashed out. There was venom in his eyes. "You come down here all high and mighty, acting like you're sooo superior to us. You and Finn both!" He pointed to Finn, who gave Jowan a nasty look.

Balin was speechless. Whoever this was, it was not his friend.

"So I'll ask it again." He seethed. "Why are you here? Are you just trying to humiliate me? I thought we were friends!" Tears started forming in his eyes.

"Jowan...we _are_ friends." Balin answered meekly.

"So then why are you humiliating me like this?! What the hell did I ever do to you?!" His lip trembled as tears began flowing freely from his eyes. All the pent up pain was leaking out.

The whole room was completely silent, a mixture of horror and disgust on their faces. Half of them couldn't believe what just happened while the other half simply wanted to murder Jowan at the moment. Balin wasn't looking at anyone, he was completely numb.

"I'm...I'm sorry Jowan. I didn't know you felt-" His voice wavered, his body beginning to tremble. "I'm...I'm gonna go. I'm sorry!" Balin sprinted out of the room, blowing through several students in the process. His sleeve was covering his face.

"Balin! Balin wait!" Emile called out to him. Too late, he was gone. She snapped her head to Jowan, her eyes shooting murderous daggers. She got directly in his face and slapped him sharply across the cheek. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

He reeled back in shock. The blow sobering him up. "I...I didn't mean to-"

Emile ran after Balin before Jowan could finish speaking.

Owain approached him next. "You're a complete ingrate, you know that right?" His voice was filled with disgust. He quickly ran off to rejoin Emile.

Before he could explain himself to anyone else they began running off in groups to check on Balin, leaving him at the mercy of three irate teenage girls. The trio quickly surrounded him and began shouting every four letter word they could think of in his direction. Anders and Finn quietly observed the madness from a distance.

"Can you believe this? What a jerk." Anders commented. He had half a mind to join the ladies telling Jowan off. Finn's expression was sour, something weighed heavily on his mind. "Hey, are you alright?" He asked, tugging on his robe to get his attention.

"Hmm? Oh yeah, I'm fine." Finn answered halfheartedly.

Anders cocked his head at him. "You sure? You seem kind of out of it."

His expression suddenly turned serious. "Anders...there's something Balin and I have been meaning to tell you guys. But we're not sure how to say it."

Anders gave him a concerned look. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"It's something our Instructors told us." Finn walked off towards Jowan, who was still being told off by the girls. "I think now's as good a time as any."

"Wait, what? What are you talking about?" Anders stumbled after Finn, still horribly confused.

Jowan had resigned himself to his fate, keeping his head low while the girls tore into him. Finn calmly stepped in-between Jowan and the group of girls, waving them off with his hand. "Come on ladies, your energy would be better spent finding Balin." He chastised. They gave him an icy glare for a moment before slowly exiting the room in a pack.

"What do _you_ want?" Jowan asked bitterly, his eyes to the floor.

Finn sighed, shaking his head disappointedly with his hands on his hips. "Jowan...there's something you need to know."

* * *

Jowan rushed down the curved hallway of the Tower's second floor. He had made a mistake, a _huge_ mistake. He couldn't believe he had been so stupid. If he had known what Balin was trying to do then he wouldn't have said such horrible things to him.

A figure appeared from down the hallway. "There he is!" Cullen pointed accusingly at Jowan.

 _Oh shit!_ He turned 180 degrees and ran in the opposite direction. He needed to get out of there now!If Cullen was looking for him then it only stood to reason that…without warning he suddenly ran headlong into what felt like a brick wall, causing him to fall backwards onto his rear. He groaned, rubbing his aching forehead.

"Morning, shitbird. Where are _you_ off to in such a hurry?"

Jowan's stomach dropped. Slowly he craned his head up to see who had just spoken to him. All the color drained from his face. "H...hey Braith." He stuttered.

If looks could kill then Jowan was already a dead man.

Braith grated her teeth. "I had an interesting chat with Emile a few minutes ago." Her calm voice belied her murderous intent.

Jowan slowly rose from the ground, his hands out in front of him as if it were a massive bear in his path. "L...listen Braith, I can explain."

Without warning, she lifted him off the ground by the collar of his robes and slammed him against the nearby wall. "He was just trying to help you, you jackass!" She roared at him like an enraged dragon, it wouldn't have surprised him if she started breathing fire at that moment.

"I know! I know!" He squirmed in her monstrous grip. "I get that I messed up! I'm trying to find him so I can apologize!" He was explaining at a mile a minute, hoping if he made his case fast enough that he wouldn't get pummeled to death.

She raised him up higher in the air, pushing him further into the wall. "No one can find him!" She fumed.

He stopped squirming for a moment. "Wait, seriously?"

"Yes, seriously!" She snarled. "He's gone missing. None of us can find him and it's all your fault!" She bared her teeth at him like they were fangs. Her eyes ablaze.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He squeaked over and over again, still squirming around in her grasp. "Please! Just let me find him so I can apologize before you beat my face in!" He pleaded.

"Liar! You were just running from us, admit it!" Cullen, who had rejoined Braith, slammed his hand against the wall next to Jowan. A similar look of Anger on his face, albeit without the same murderous passion that Braith showed.

Jowan made himself as small as possible. "If you really want to beat me up that's okay. I screwed up, I understand that." He gulped. "At least let me find him so I can apologize for what I did."

Braith, seeing the honesty in his eyes, finally stopped flaring. Her expression softened slightly. "You mean it?" She asked hesitantly.

He nodded furiously. "Yes! Yes I mean it!"

After a moment's hesitation she finally dropped him, still giving him the death glare. He quickly dusted himself off, avoiding eye contact with her.

"So...does this mean you-"

She grabbed him by the neck and tucked his head under her arm, he squirmed and writhed trying to break himself free. "Come on! We're going to find him so you can apologize." She dragged him along with his head under her arm. Cullen followed quickly behind her, an amused look on his face.

* * *

The kids scrambled about the Tower, all calling out Balin's name in search. The Templars had confirmed he did not leave the Tower and thus lost interest in the search, leaving it up to the instructors and the young students to find him. Amidst the commotion, Wynne had slipped quietly into the empty Chantry. The last place anyone would suspect to look for a wayward Mage.

"Blessed be thou who exists in the sight of the Maker." Balin chanted quietly on his knees, his hands outstretched in prayer. "Blessed are they who stand before the corrupt and the wicked and do not falter." Wynne quietly took a seat at one of the nearby pews. "Blessed are the Peacekeepers, champions of the just."

"Mind if I join you?"

Balin didn't turn his head, he had known she was behind him from the moment she stepped foot in the Chantry. "I hope I haven't made the others worry too much." He asked sincerely, his head still silently bowed in prayer.

She smiled, joining him on her knees in quiet contemplation. "Your friends are running all over the Tower looking for you." She chuckled. "I suppose it never occurred to them to check in here."

"Most Mages don't pray to the Maker, do they Miss Wynne."

She frowned, gazing off thoughtfully to the side. "I suppose not."

"Why is that?" He asked curiously, gazing up at the towering statue of Andraste. "Mages have a lot to be thankful for."

"Of course we do." Wynne replied. "I suppose many of us just fail to realize that." Wynne gently rose to her feet, her old bones only able tolerate the stone floor for so long. She retook her seat at the nearby pew.

"That's so sad." Balin commented mournfully. "We should be grateful of our gifts."

"Many don't see it that way." Wynne explained, her eyes gently fixed on her young student. "Many see our gift as a curse."

Balin stood up, turning his head to her for the first time since she entered the room. His cheeks were swollen and puffy and his eyes were slightly glassed over, but she didn't comment. "Why would anyone think our gifts are a curse?" He asked unbelievingly.

Wynne sighed. _How best to explain this?_ "We Mages carry a great burden on our shoulders. We are constantly being watched, being judged. There is much prejudice against our kind, because people fear us. They fear what may happen should we ever lose control."

Balin considered her words carefully, returning his gaze to the statue of the Prophet. "Do you remember when we were younger? And you told us all about how Magic exists to serve mankind? That really stuck with me."

She gave him a curious look. "Did it now?"

He turned around, a beaming smile on his face. "Yes, it really did. I realized then that I was happy, because it meant I had been given a gift to help others." He joined her at the pew taking a seat next to his former instructor. "As long as I can use my gift to help others, then I'll always be grateful to the Maker." He twiddled his fingers. "Because to me...there is no better way to live your life then knowing you can change someone else's for the better."

Wynne smiled proudly at him, her eyes full of adoration for her young student. She hugged him tightly before speaking. "I always knew you would go far as a Mage young one." She kept her arms on his shoulders as she spoke. "I'm certain the Maker has a great destiny in store for you."

"Guys! He's in here!"

Balin turned his head to see Owain pointing from the doorway. One by one his friends trickled into the Chantry. Some of them griping about him running off, while others simply relieved to see he was okay. From the back of the group a tall fiery redhead dragged a clearly indignant Jowan by his head.

"This one has something he wants to say to you." Braith growled, tossing the flustered Jowan towards Balin.

Jowan fidgeted uncomfortably, his eyes cast to the floor. "Finn told us about the Harrowing." Balin frowned, now it was his turn to gaze at the floor. Wynne stood and left the room, this was a conversation they needed to have in private. There was nothing she could say to make what he had to tell them any better, anyway. "I had no idea it was so dangerous. I'm so sorry I doubted you." His voice was racked with shame ridden guilt.

"It's okay…" Balin answered quietly. His mind once again elsewhere.

"How bad is it?" Owain asked nervously.

Balin didn't want to answer. He was already perturbed Finn mentioned it to them. "One of the older apprentices was sent for hers a few weeks ago...she never returned." He finally admitted.

They all shivered in terror.

"Maker...I had no idea." Emile commented, her face pale.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner? We've been fooling around this whole time." Owain asked, a slight tremor in his voice.

"We didn't want to frighten you." Balin admitted shamefully. "We're not even sure what it is yet. We just know it's dangerous."

"That's why you've been helping us isn't it? To get us prepared."

Balin nodded.

At that moment, they all discovered a newfound appreciation for the young Apprentice. Balin and Finn could have spent their free time however they chose; practicing their spellcraft, learning a new skill, or just relaxing after all their hard work. They could have completely forgotten about them. Instead, they had been using what little time they could spare, to make sure all of them were ready. Jowan felt sick to his stomach. He really _was_ an ingrate.

They began to fidget nervously, it suddenly dawning on them that every one of them would be put through the Harrowing at some point. Their expressions paled, fear began to form in their eyes.

"I can't believe the Instructors would put us through something that could kill us." Emile commented, a mixture of disbelief and betrayal in her voice. "Why are they doing this?"

"It's the Templars." Owain commented angrily. "They're the ones responsible for this, I guarantee it."

"Well I'm not doing it!" Emile stomped her foot in protest. "I don't care if they keep me an apprentice for the rest of my life, they can't force me to do something that could potentially kill me."

"Yes...they can." Balin replied somberly. His expression was grimm.

She gave him an indignant look. Her face flushed in anger. "What do you mean? It's not like they're gonna kill us….right?" Her voice wavered.

Balin clinched his fists, his knuckles turning white. He continued to stare off into nothing. "No...but they _can_ make us tranquil."

The room audibly gasped in horror.

"That's...almost worst." Owain commented, his bottom lip quivering slightly.

"Now you see why we wanted to keep it a secret from you." Balin commented. "You either survive the Harrowing, become tranquil…." His eyes glassed over and his stomach churned. "...or you die."

Nobody spoke a word. What was there to say? They had all just been handed the worst news imaginable. Mere moments ago they were still kids having fun and enjoying their youth. Now, the fun and games were over. This was a test of survival. A test they all suddenly felt very underprepared for.

The room began to panic, quiet murmurs turned into loud ruckus commotion. They began arguing amongst each other, isolating into groups. Some wanted to resume practicing that moment, others wanted to pray to the Maker, others began to silently weep for their fate. Balin had no words of comfort for them, he simply continued to stare at the ground in mournful resignation. As the panic in the room rose, a single shrill voice cut through the despair.

"All of you SHUT THE HELL UP!" Braith shouted over the rest of them. Silencing the fear and despair. She crossed her arms, a mean scowl on her face. "Maker, you lot sure are pathetic. Talk about a bunch of sniveling baby mages." They all stared at her in confusion, a mixture of fear and anger in their eyes. Some of them quietly sniffled while others rubbed the fresh tears from their friend's eyes. "So the Harrowing is dangerous. So what? That doesn't mean you're gonna die." They blinked a few times, sharing looks of confusion amongst each other. _What was she talking about?_ They all wondered to themselves.

Braith took a deep breath before continuing. "You already have everything you need to succeed. Balin has been working very hard to make sure you all are ready." She pointed directly at him as she spoke. Their eyes all turned to the young Apprentice, who stood up awkwardly from his sulking. "So you don't need to worry. The most gifted student in decades is on your side. With Balin helping you, there's no way you will fail." She declared confidently.

Balin wasn't sure how to react. At first he wanted Braith to shut her mouth before she made it worst. But the way they were staring at him now...the despair in their eyes began to dissolve. They were all smiling again. Not like they were before, they were still clearly nervous. It was a hopeful smile, that maybe...if Balin could help them then they would be alright. He smiled too, he was nervous for them, but he new Braith was right. He would do everything he could to help them, and this way they didn't need to despair.

He never considered himself much of a leader. He was always there to help whenever his friends needed him, but he never once thought that they would _all_ come to depend on him. But the way they looked at him now, as if to say _Help us. Please help us._ He new there was only one thing to do. With slow, deliberate movements, he stood up on the pew. Addressing them all.

"She's right. You guys don't have to worry. I'm not going to abandon any of you." He placed his hands up in the air, as if he were addressing a congregation. "I promise that no matter what, I'll do whatever I can to help all of you survive the Harrowing." He took a deep breath, plastering a big confident smile on his face. "You can all count on me. Finn and I will see you through this." He declared.

Their faces lit up. One by one they began murmuring excitedly to each other. The mood had shifted. Perhaps with Balin leading them, they stood a chance after all. Slowly, one of them began to clap, the sound reverberating off the walls. The others quickly began to join him in a slow clap that built into cheerful applause. Balin gazed down at the sea of smiling faces. He wasn't sure how he felt about this, suddenly taking on this role. What if he failed? What if something went wrong? He felt his old insecurities bubble up to the surface threatening to undo the confident visage he displayed. But when he saw Braith, who was the _first_ to believe in him, cheering him on louder than any of the others, his confidence surged. In the end, whether they believed in him or not mattered little, so long as she believed in him he felt like he could accomplish anything.

"This stupid Harrowing will be a piece of cake!" He boldly declared. The room erupted into another fit of applause. Jowan smiled somewhat sadly up at his friend. He finally realized why it was that Balin's success had bothered him. For so long he always saw Balin as that little brother he never had. Since first arriving in the Tower he had always looked out for him. The way Balin would look up to him like he was truly an older brother always made Jowan feel special….but now that was gone. He realized his job was over, Balin didn't need him anymore. As he gazed up at his friend, he couldn't help but silently despair. But as he saw his best friend make eye contact with him, seeking his approval, he knew he had to push such thoughts into the back of his mind. He cheered wildly for Balin, a fake smile of approval plastered on his face. Balin reveled in the support. His confidence surged.

From behind the door to the Chantry, Wynne listened on in silence. Joy welled in her heart. _This._ She thought. _This is the reason why the Maker put you here, my child. So that they all will live._ Her heart relaxed, she finally had hope for the future. It wouldn't be until several years later, that she would realize just how wrong she truly was.

* * *

Another chapter complete! This one's a bit longer due to their being a lot of characters involved. I'm not planning on spending much more time in the adolescent years. The next chapter should be the last one we see of younger Balin and Braith. We will see their relationship develop from close friendship to genuine affection, as well as a few others. After that we will move forward. As always, feel free to comment and critique.


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